China secretly recruit Western fighter pilots into its army, NATO countries seriously worry

The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have jointly warned that China's People's Liberation Army is "aggressively recruiting" Western fighter pilots. According to the Financial Times, the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center and its partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network have issued a warning that China continues to recruit current and former pilots from the US and NATO countries, despite attempts to block the practice. "To overcome its shortcomings, China's military is aggressively recruiting Western military talent to train its aviators, using private firms around the world that hide their ties to the PRC and offer recruits exorbitant salaries," said Michael Casey, director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center. Concerns about the issue grew after it was revealed in 2022 that the private school Test Flying Academy of South Africa was using more than two dozen retired British Air Force, Navy and Army pilots to help train Chinese military pilots. Casey said Western partners have recently made some progress in preventing recruitment, but China's efforts continue to "evolve in response." He said the warning bulletin was intended to highlight the ongoing threat and deter Western pilots from helping China. "For some former military pilots, the opportunity to fly exotic fighters again may be attractive, especially if it comes with a high salary," said one US official.