According to German media, several former German Air Force pilots have been recruited by China for several years to train its own pilots.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published on 06/03/2023 at 4:50 p.m., updated on 06/03/2023 at 17:37 p.m
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A Chinese J-16 fighter jet during an air show in Guangdong province in November 2022. Cost photo
Germany’s defense minister on Saturday urged Beijing to stop recruiting former air force personnel to train its own pilots in China amid fears that NATO secrets would be exposed. “I raised the issue of German Bundeswehr pilots who were apparently recruited to train Chinese pilots,” Boris Pistorius told the press after an interview with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu Li on the sidelines of a defense and security conference in Singapore.
“I made it clear that I expect this practice to stop immediately and told him that if I tried to do the same myself, he probably wouldn’t be very happy,” he said. He added, according to statements released to the press, by his ministry. The Chinese minister did not “deny the scope” of this affair, “but put it into perspective from his point of view,” he said.
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Wages are paid through letterbox companies based in the Seychelles
Two German media outlets, weekly Der Spiegel and public television broadcaster ZDF, announced on Friday that several former German Air Force pilots have been recruited by China for several years to train its own pilots.
Their salaries would be processed through letterbox companies based in the Seychelles. Some of them may have been employed by the company of an employee of the Chinese secret service.
According to these media, the affair has been occupying the secret service control committee of the German House of Representatives for several weeks. “We fear that after their deployment for the German state, soldiers may take on tasks that lead to them betraying state secrets,” said committee chairman Konstantin von Notz to ZDF.
The affected German soldiers were pilots of Eurofighter combat aircraft and were integrated into NATO exercises. Berlin therefore fears that secrets of the Atlantic Alliance’s intervention and tactics could reach China.
According to ZDF, the Ministry of Defense is planning to launch an investigation because similar cases have become known in Great Britain and the USA in recent years. This case comes at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have increased significantly in recent months.
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