Dhe Federal Ministry of Defense wants to clarify whether former Bundeswehr soldiers are working as trainers for the Chinese People’s Army. A corresponding investigation was launched on Wednesday, the ministry said. It had previously become known that the British government wanted to prevent former Royal Air Force pilots from training soldiers in the Chinese People’s Army.
The London security apparatus is talking about a “recruitment program” that is viewed “with concern and disapproval” because it poses “a threat to the Kingdom and Western allies”. So far, former soldiers have not been forbidden from making their services available to the people’s army. Measures should now “limit the risks”.
According to information from the British security apparatus, since 2019 China has been trying to recruit former soldiers from Great Britain and other western countries, including those outside the air force, through an external agency. Efforts have been intensified since the corona pandemic subsided.
Beijing wants to learn tactics
It appears that at least 30 off-duty British officers have accepted China’s “very generous” offers. We are talking about annual salaries of more than 250,000 euros. So far, however, there is no evidence that the former soldiers have broken the “Official Secrets Act”, which obliges them not to disclose any security-related secrets.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defense told the FAZ that “nothing is known” in Berlin about former German soldiers who work as trainers in China. Should such obligations have arisen, “service law would apply”, which stipulates confidentiality obligations. The question of whether it is fundamentally legal for former Bundeswehr soldiers to advise the People’s Army, taking into account service law, remained unanswered.
James Heappey, Secretary of State at the British Ministry of Defence, announced a change in the law that would allow for a phased approach. After that, the soldiers would receive a formal warning before being prosecuted. “We have contacted the affected people and made it clear to them our expectation that they should no longer be part of this organization,” he said. After the official warning, it will become a criminal offense to continue with the training.
According to information from the security apparatus, none of the British instructors have flown the F-35, the RAF’s most modern combat aircraft. But many would have gained experience with other types such as the Eurofighter or the Tornado. Although the pilots are trained on Chinese Air Force aircraft, Beijing is “interested in learning about Western tactics and operational methods.”
China defends attack in Manchester
Heappey described China as a “competitor threatening British interests in many parts of the world”. China is “also an important training partner”, but it is “no secret that they are trying to find access to our secrets”. The soldiers are being recruited “to understand the capabilities of our air force,” which is particularly worrying for military intelligence in the kingdom.
Relations with the People’s Republic have deteriorated significantly since the British government condemned Hong Kong’s new security laws and issued permanent visas to more than 100,000 Hong Kong Chinese. The government in Beijing has imposed sanctions on several British MPs and scientists who have criticized their actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang province. Prime Minister Liz Truss is considering upgrading China from “systematic competitor” to “threat” in foreign and security policy strategy.
An incident at the Chinese consulate general in Manchester is creating additional tension, in which a demonstrating Hong Kong Chinese was dragged onto the premises by embassy staff and beaten over the weekend. The acting head of the consulate was summoned to the Foreign Office. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Alicia Kearns told MPs on Tuesday that Consul-General Zheng Xijuan personally tore down protesters’ placards. The thugs were identified as members of the Chinese Communist Party.
In Beijing, the intervention of the diplomat was defended. According to the Foreign Ministry, the demonstrators “broke in illegally”, which is why the staff took “necessary measures” to protect the consulate. This account does not tally with videos of the incident that are circulating.