China wants to recruit military pilots from the U.S. and its allies to strengthen Chinese air power, bulletin warns
NBCMay 29
US, Allies Claim China Recruiting Western Fighter Pilots
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Above: The aerobatic demonstration team of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Chinese Air Force performs during an aerial display at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition on May 23, 2023. Image copyright: Annice Lyn/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
In a joint bulletin on Wednesday, the US and its peers in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance warned that China is "aggressively" recruiting current and former Western military personnel to train its air force pilots and naval aviators.
According to intelligence officials from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and the US, the PRC's People's Liberation Army has recently intensified such efforts to improve its air combat capability.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As Beijing prepares for a likely attempt to take over Taiwan, its People's Liberation Army has ramped up efforts to address a lack of pilot proficiency and technical capabilities. Western-trained service members must be aware that if they teach Chinese personnel, they are putting national security at risk — and likely violating the law.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's very hypocritical of the Five Eyes to urge aviators not to train Chinese pilots now that Western nations have decided to turn China into an adversary. Pilot training schools, with international customers, have operated in these five countries — as well as in many others in the West — for years.
