A pair of RAF Eurofighter Typhoons. File photoMOSCOW, Oct 18China has recruited dozens of former British military pilots to train Chinese troops on how to hit Western warplanes and helicopters, Sky News reported.According to one official, about 30 jet and helicopter pilots are currently training Chinese People's Liberation Army pilots and earning a salary of around £240,000 a year. China's industry is developing at the expense of technology from the United States, media writes. As an unnamed official told the TV channel, the PRC authorities are seeking to hire even more current and former military pilots and other specialists from the British Air Force, Navy and Army, as well as from other countries of the West. Outside specialists are used for recruitment, as well as a company located in South Africa. One official noted that this situation poses a «threat to the interests of the United Kingdom and the West», since former military men who agreed to train Chinese pilots «almost certainly increase the level of knowledge and potential of Chinese ( military — ed.)». The military intelligence service of the British Ministry of Defense issued a warning about the threat of such actions from the former military. However, the channel notes that Britain is «powerless» to prevent the recruitment of ex-military by China. What signals did Beijing send to Russia and the West?
