Germany demands that China suspend its pilots with German experts

Germany has asked China to stop pilot training for its air force, which is currently being conducted by veteran German Luftwaffe instructors. Several German media this week revealed that a a small group of retired German fighter pilots working in China like professional Chinese instructors in exchange for astronomical salaries. “I made it clear that I expect this practice to stop immediately,” Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, told the media at the end of an interview with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu. Pistorius commented that he stressed to his interlocutor that “he certainly wouldn’t be happy if I did that” with the Chinese pilots.

Pistorius and Li held a bilateral meeting within the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue, a meeting on security and defense policy in which mainly politicians and experts from the Asian continent participate. The German Social Democratic politician emphasized to his Chinese colleague that it is “unacceptable” for Berlin that former Luftwaffe pilots share their knowledge with Chinese pilots. Allegedly and according to the investigation conducted by the weekly Der Spiegel and the public television channel ZDF, these pilots would reveal the secret tactics of the federal army and NATO and even rehearse war scenarios with their students that could help in an eventual Chinese attack on Taiwan.

The German defense chief emphasized that his Chinese counterpart reacted “very reservedly” to his demands, although at no point did he deny that his country employed former German military pilots for coaches, even though he “relativized” the importance of the transferred knowledge. The German media that revealed the scandal pointed out that they were responsible for national security and the German secret services themselves expressed concern about the secrets these pilots could have revealed to their Chinese students. After their retirement, the German army would be hired by companies no doubt based in South Africa and New Zealand who would later transfer them to China. Allegedly, their salaries are several hundred thousand euros per year.

The scandal with former Luftwaffe pilots hired by China has caused very critical reactions. “It is time for this naivety of Germany to stop”said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairman of the Bundestag’s defense committee. “That ex-Luftwaffe pilots can train fighter pilots in China at the end of their service is outrageous,” said the liberal politician, who demanded urgent tightening of legislation about the future of employment of German ex-soldiers. “You have to make sure that retired German soldiers can only work as instructors in NATO countries or strategic partners,” the expert said.