U.K. says working to stop China recruitment of ex-airforce pilots

UK media said that over 30 former pilots had accepted offers upwards of £240,000, equivalent to USD 273,750, many of those recruited are in their 50s and having recently left the British air force

The U.K. government said on Tuesday it was taking "decisive steps" against a Chinese recruitment effort to bring in former and serving British airforce pilots to train its military personnel.

While British military personnel frequently take part in training exercises with foreign armies, any collusion by ex-pilots with China — which London has dubbed the "number one threat" to domestic and global security — poses a serious concern.

"We are taking decisive steps to stop Chinese recruitment schemes attempting to headhunt serving and former U.K. Armed Forces pilots to train People's Liberation Army personnel," a spokesperson for the British Defence Ministry said.

Armed forces minister James Heappey acknowledged to broadcaster Sky News that such collaboration "has been a concern within the ministry of defence for years".

"Our counter-intelligence people have been looking at it closely," he said.

"The recruitment of pilots in order to understand the capabilities of our Air Force is clearly a concern to us and the intelligence part of the Ministry of Defence."

Mr. Heappey said that officials have been warning pilots involved to quit.