Are they giving the Chinese air force a leg up?
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskIn recent weeks it has become clearer why foreign pilots might be found in a Chinese jet. On October 18th Britain’s defence ministry announced that it was trying to stop China from luring ex-military pilots to train its air force. An official said that a private firm called the Test Flying Academy of South Africa had hired up to 30 former Royal Air Force pilots to work in China on salaries of around $270,000 a year.
China’s efforts do not end there. Australia’s shadow defence minister said at least two Australian fighter pilots had also been approached and had declined. New Zealand’s defence ministry said four of its former personnel have been employed byreported that “several” French pilots have been training China’s air force.
Western officials disagree. They acknowledge that their former pilots are not thought to have broken any laws. But they say that China’s aim is to understand the tactics of the Western jets and helicopters it might one day face in, say, a war over Taiwan. They also argue that foreign expertise might help China’s People’s Liberation Army close the gap with rivals, given its lack of combat experience over the past 40 years.
The sense of scandal around such training efforts is a reflection of how quickly the West’s relationship with China has deteriorated. Until recently, formal military exchanges were common.Britain was hardly alone. New Zealand’s defence ministry signed an agreement to train theas recently as 2019, says Anne-Marie Brady of the University of Canterbury. Australia hosted Chinese officers at its military institutions until a few years ago, recalls a former official.
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