China is “aggressively” pursuing its program to recruit current and former western military personnel to train the People’s Liberation Army, a joint advisory from Five Eyes countries warned Wednesday.
A statement from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on behalf of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership said Beijing is using private companies in South Africa and China to target potential recruits from NATO and western countries by offering “exorbitant salaries.”
“The most sought-after targets to date have been military pilots” and other air force personnel, according to the Five Eyes bulletin issued by the ODNI’s National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) — something targeted countries have been warning about for years and introduced measures to try and counter.
But the bulletin says China has responded to those warnings by adapting its tactics and expanding its targets to include “technical experts with insight into Western military tactics, techniques, and procedures.”
“The insight the PLA gains from Western military talent threatens the safety of the targeted recruits, their fellow service members, and U.S. and allied security,” the bulletin states.
Asked about the bulletin and what the U.S. military is doing to deter servicemembers from accepting Chinese recruitment offers, Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the issue is being taken seriously.
“I think also loyalty to your country is certainly (something) we always impart on our servicemembers,” she said with a laugh.
The warning from Five Eyes countries — Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand — says China has also sought to hire former pilots from Germany, France and other western nations.
The bulletin warns that “nefarious recruitment attempts are not always obvious” as companies will conceal their ties to the PLA.
Potential recruits may be contacted directly by headhunters or their own personal acquaintances from the military, or indirectly through professional networking sites and online job platforms, according to the advisory.
“Job locations may be in China, South Africa, or elsewhere, with lucrative contracts and the opportunity to fly exotic aircraft, with vague details on the ultimate customers,” it says about the offers being presented.
The bulletin urges anyone who has been sought out for recruitment, or who knows someone who has been targeted, to reach out to the U.S. military and the FBI, as well as the military counterintelligence unit in their country.
Canadians are urged to contact the Canadian Forces National Counter-Intelligence Unit and CSIS.
“Today’s joint bulletin by FVEY (Five Eyes) partners seeks to highlight this persistent threat and deter any current or former Western service members from actions that put their military colleagues at risk and erode our national security,” NCSC director Michael C. Casey said in Wednesday’s statement.
Warnings about Chinese military recruitment tactics date back at least to 2022, when the BBC reported dozens of former British military pilots had been recruited to train PLA members. The pilots were offered “lucrative” packages of up to $350,000, according to the report.
Although Canada wasn’t mentioned, the Daily Mail reported that Canadians were also being approached for those training jobs.
The RCMP confirmed to Global News last September it was investigating the report and whether former Royal Canadian Air Force pilots were providing information to Beijing, but wouldn’t comment further.
Shortly after those comments, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre and the deputy minister of national defence warned members of the Canadian Forces against working and sharing information with militaries “whose interests diverge from our own.”
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“(O)ur adversaries and competitors actively and aggressively strive to enhance their own capabilities, knowledge, and expertise by harnessing Canada’s experiences and those of our allies,” the statement said.
“All Defence Team members, civilian and military, serving and retired, must be alive to this stark reality. This is real.”
The RCMP indicated to Global News on Wednesday that their investigation remains ongoing by sending an identical statement to the one provided last year.
The federal government’s recently introduced foreign interference legislation, Bill C-70, would update the Security of Information Act to include Canadian Forces members in the list of people permanently bound to secrecy. That would restrict who current and former Canadian military members can train or share information with.
It would also amend the act’s definition of “special operational information” that cannot be shared to include “the military vulnerabilities or advantages of the Canadian Forces.”
A person found guilty of sharing special operational information under the act could be imprisoned for up to 14 years. Those found guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction can be liable to up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $2,000 — or both.
However, anyone who communicates that information to a foreign entity or terrorist group could face life in prison.
Defence Minister Bill Blair pointed to the new legislation when asked for comment on the Five Eyes bulletin, saying the proposed changes if passed “will directly deal with this matter.”
“Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are privy to sensitive information and skills, and it is our expectation that both current and former members safeguard Canadian interests at all times,” Blair said in a statement provided by his office Wednesday.
“The changes proposed by our government will ensure that those who violate Canada’s national interests will face serious consequences for their actions.”
The Five Eyes bulletin says allied countries have also placed commercial restrictions on the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), Beijing China Aviation Technology Co. (BCAT), Stratos “and other PLA providers exploiting Western and NATO personnel.”
CSIS has also warned that China is working to recruit Canadians working in “strategic sectors or who have high-value credentials” to share information with Beijing by posing as human resources recruiters or security consultants.
— with files from Global’s Aaron D’Andrea and Nathaniel Dove
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