The Department of National Defence (DND) is probing whether any former members of the Canadian Armed Forces have become mercenaries and are helping the Chinese military, the Western Standard has learned..The investigation started after media reports last week revealed British and American servicemen had been hired as mercenaries to help the Chinese government with training its military personnel.."The Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces and its members are committed to the preservation of national security,” said DND in a statement to the Western Standard.. "We are aware of these reports, and we are looking into this further with federal partners. The Security of Information Act applies to both current and former members, and non-compliance with the Act could result in serious consequences.".The DND said it "trusts and expects current and former CAF members to adhere to the values of the institution," and said any behaviour that could could potentially harm Canadian national interests would be "dealt with appropriately." .In a Western Standard article published last Tuesday, columnist Dave Makichuk included details reported by Sky News suggesting as many as 30 British pilots from the Royal Air Force have been lured, with the promise of $270,000 USD paycheques, to train pilots in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. .READ MORE: MAKICHUK: UK scrambling over reports of RAF pilots aiding the PLA.“RAF vets who help train the Chinese should lose British citizenship,” said Tobias Ellwood, a British military veteran and Conservative politician, in a tweet Tuesday. “We should not be surprised by China’s audacity in luring UK pilots to learn about our tactics.”.A spokesman for the UK Prime Minister — the now resigned Liz Truss — said the government is taking "decisive steps" to stop the headhunting, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin said in a daily news briefing, he was unaware of the recruitment efforts..UK ministers say they may seek to change the laws to criminalize former personnel taking up contracts to train in certain foreign militaries, according to The Guardian. .US military officials also confirmed at a Tuesday press conference the Pentagon was aware some of their former military personnel were also helping in China. .They said officers were free to do as they choose, as long as they follow all rules that cover military members when they leave the service..President Xi openly expressed a desire to complete the modernization of the PLA by 2035, and transform it into a “world-class” military by 2049..It's been reported some of the pilots are in their late 50s and left the military some time ago. Pilots of other Allied nations are said to have also been targeted.
