To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any Chinese personnel have attended training courses at (a) the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, (b) Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, (c) Britannia Royal Naval College, (d) Royal Air College Cranwell and (e) other training establishments of the armed forces in the last five years.
Answered on
7 November 2022
This answer is a correction from the original answer.
The numbers of Chinese nationals who have attended UK Defence training establishments from 2010 is as follows:
Financial Year | RAF Cranwell | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst | Royal Naval College Dartmouth | Joint Services Command and Staff College Shrivenham | Defence Academy (Royal College of Defence Studies) | All Arms Drill Wing Pirbright | Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment | Total |
2010-11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
2011-12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
2012-13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
2013-14 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
2014-15 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
2015-16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
2016-17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
2017-18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
2018-19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
2019-20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
2020-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
2021-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
I offer here a more comprehensive picture than has been previously requested.
Numbers have changed from previous answers for a number of reasons: the inclusion of RCDS (a Defence establishment, but not a military base); the capturing of some activity not previously counted; and some changes due to realigning figures from calendar to financial years.
The UK has never provided training that contained any sensitive information and it did not compromise the Official Secrets Act. No training has been provided to Chinese personnel since 2020, either in the UK or in the People’s Republic of China.
Original answer
Chinese personnel attended the following courses at UK Armed Forces training establishments in the last five years:
Year | Establishment | Course Title | Number of Students |
2019-20 | Defence Academy | Royal College of Defence Studies | 1 |
2019 | All Arms Drill Wing Pirbright | All Arms Basic Drill Instructor Course | 2 |
2019 | All Arms Drill Wing Pirbright | All Arms Advanced Drill Instructor Course | 2 |
2019 | Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment | International Explosive Ordnance Disposal Maritime Course | 1 |
2018-19 | RAF Cranwell | Initial Officer Training | 1 |
2018-19 | Defence Academy | Royal College of Defence Studies | 2 |
2018 | All Arms Drill Wing Pirbright | All Arms Advanced Drill Instructor Course | 1 |
2018 | Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment | International Search Adviser Course | 1 |
2017-18 | Defence Academy | Royal College of Defence Studies | 2 |
2017-18 | RAF Cranwell | Aircrew Instructors Course | 8 |
2017 | RAF Cranwell | Aircrew Instructors Course | 2 |
2017 | All Arms Drill Wing Pirbright | All Arms Basic Drill Instructor Course | 3 |
2016-17 | Defence Academy | Royal College of Defence Studies | 2 |
2016-17 | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst | Initial Officer Training | 2 |
2016-17 | Defence Academy | Advanced Command and Staff Course | 1 |
No sensitive information was included within any of this training. No training has been provided to Chinese personnel after this period, either in the UK or in the People’s Republic of China.