Reports of RAF pilots teaching in China spark national security concerns
The MoD reportedly sent serving RAF pilots to Beijing to teach their Chinese counterparts in 2016.

Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Conservatives have been accused of risking national security by reportedly sending British military pilots to Beijing to teach the Chinese air force and giving students from China basic officer training in the UK.
Several serving Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots taught an āAviation English Courseā in China in 2016, while a number of Chinese nationals studied at the RAFās college at Cranwell in Lincolnshire and the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham in Swindon, Sky News reported.
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: āThe UK has never provided fast jet flight training, or any other sensitive training, for Peopleās Liberation Army (Air Force) pilots.ā
This official deployment could have compromised details of UK military operations, technology and training to a foreign power
It is understood that the MoDās official defence activities with Beijing, which included initial officer training on English language and armed conflict law, were stopped in 2019.
But Labour criticised the Tories of being ātoo slow to emerge from their āgolden eraā with China and repeatedly blase about security threatsā.
Shadow defence secretary John Healey said: āThis official deployment could have compromised details of UK military operations, technology and training to a foreign power, posing a significant threat to our national security.
āMinisters must answer serious questions about why they backed this activity and what risks it poses. The public also want reassurance on the actions taken to halt it.ā
Earlier this month, the Government warned former British military pilots not to teach the Chinese armed forces how to defeat western warplanes and aircraft.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said: āChina is a competitor that is threatening the UK interest in many places around the worldā, while Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said he was āsurprisedā that something āakin to the Official Secrets Actā was not already in place to stop it from happening.
The BBC reported that up to 30 former pilots, including some RAF veterans, were believed to have trained Chinaās Peopleās Liberation Army.
The MoD issued an intelligence alert warning pilots against taking part and that it was taking ādecisive stepsā to stop Chinese recruitment schemes targeting military pilots.