According to a statement made by Australia’s attorney general on Monday, a former United States Marine who is now reportedly being held in Australia and is accused of training Chinese military pilots will be extradited to the United States.
During the year 2022, Daniel Duggan was taken into jail in Australia on the basis of allegations made by United States officials that he had instructed Chinese military pilots on how to land on aircraft carriers.
Amidst the expansion of its carrier fleet and the modernization of its navy, China has been considering the possibility of enhancing the capabilities of its pilots to land and take off from military aircraft carriers.
The charges, “which were not considered a crime in Australia,” were denied by Duggan, who has six children and has been a citizen of Australia for approximately thirteen years, according to a statement that was sent out via email by a spokeswoman for Duggan’s family.
The statement stated that his family and attorneys are evaluating the various legal alternatives available to them.
It was not possible to get in touch with a spokeswoman for the United States Department of Justice right away.
It has been brought to the attention of the United States and its allies that China is employing veteran pilots from the West.
According to an indictment that was unsealed two years ago and dated from 2017, Duggan is accused of training Chinese pilots in landing on aircraft carriers in conjunction with a South African flight school dating back to the early 2010s.
This training took place as early as the beginning of the decade.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of Australia has stated that he has reached the conclusion that Duggan ought to be extradited to the United States in order to face prosecution.
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