According to the BBC and other news agencies former British military pilots are being lured to China with large sums of money to pass on their expertise to the Chinese military, it is claimed.
The UK is issuing an intelligence alert to warn former military pilots against working for the Chinese military after the BBC reported that as many as 30 people who once served in the nation’s armed forces were providing their expertise to members of the Chinese military.
The retired British pilots are being used to help understand the way in which Western planes and pilots operate, information which could be vital in the event of any conflict, such as over Taiwan.
Attempts to headhunt pilots have increased recently with a western official confirming that “It is a lucrative package that is being offered to people,” while also adding that “money is a strong motivator”. With some packages thought to be as much as £237,911 ($270,000).
Last week, Jeremy Fleming, director of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency, said China is using its financial and scientific muscle to manipulate technologies in a manner that risks global security, warning that the actions could represent “a huge threat to us all.”