“I would be deeply shocked and disturbed to hear that there were personnel who were being lured by a paycheck from a foreign state above serving their own country,” Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
“I have asked the department to investigate these claims and come back to my office with clear advice on this matter.”
Marles said Australian Defence Force personnel sign up to serve their country and the nation was grateful to them.
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A former Australian Air Force pilot,speaking anonymously to CNBC,said he was offered nearly $1 million a year to work for the Chinese military.
The practice of pilots being offered lucrative contracts worth around £250,000 ($449,000) to train Chinese fighters has been going on for years,according to Britain’s Armed Forces Minister James Heappey.
Their actions are not illegal unless they have betrayed any official secrets.