Australia investigating reports that its pilots trained Chinese military

Agencies | Sydney

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Australia's defence minister said its military was investigating reports former pilots were accepting training roles in China, as Britain said it could take legal action to stop its pilots being similarly recruited on national security grounds.

The British government said on Tuesday it was taking steps to stop former British military pilots training the Chinese armed forces, with British media reporting that a South African flight school was acting as an intermediary for China's People's Liberation Army to recruit pilots.

The British government said on Tuesday it was taking steps to stop former British military pilots training the Chinese armed forces, with British media reporting that a South African flight school was acting as an intermediary for China's People's Liberation Army to recruit pilots.

Britain's Ministry of Defence wrote on Twitter the British pilots involved had been told they risked prosecution under the Official Secrets Act, and a national security bill would provide other paths to prosecution.

The South African company, Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on whether it had hired pilots from Britain, Australia and New Zealand to work for it in China.