Any review into whether former Australian defence personnel are working for the Chinese military should also look at other countries, according to one of the nation's most respected former defence officials.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced an urgent review into the existing rules and regulations, amid serious concerns Beijing is using lucrative contracts to try to lure former ADF personnel to train its military.
Dennis Richardson — who has served as secretary of the Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as head of intelligence agency ASIO and as Australia's ambassador to the United States -- hopes the review goes beyond China.
"I have been surprised at some of the positions that some former ADF officers have occupied in other countries," Mr Richardson told the ABC's Afternoon Briefing.
"I would hope that the review goes beyond China, but China clearly needs to be a focus."
When pressed on what other countries he think should be on the defence department's list, he replied "they stay in my mind."
The current inquiry was launched after revelations British RAF pilots were being brought in to train Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) pilots.
The UK Defence Ministry said it would be taking immediate steps to "deter and penalise" personnel taking up such roles".
Retired ADF members have taken on lucrative roles with foreign militaries for many decades, but usually with prior government permission.
Retired Major General Mike Hindmarsh is one example, serving as the commander of the United Arab Emirate's presidential guard and reporting directly to the nation's Crown Prince.
The current focus on the strategic threat posed by countries such as China have, however, focused the federal government's mind and prompted this latest review.
"The obligations that Australian servicemen and women have, and indeed for that matter any public servant has, goes well beyond their time in office, when it comes to confidential and classified matters," Mr Richardson said.
Former ADF personnel concerned about Chinese approaches
Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie said former ADF personnel have been speaking to him about the issue.
"I received some calls from former serving fighter pilots who said that former colleagues of theirs had been approached by Chinese interests to assist with the training of the PLA," Mr Hastie told the ABC's Afternoon Briefing.
"So, I'm encouraged to see Richard Marles, the defence minister, come out this morning, report back on his initial investigation, and he's going to undertake further inquiries and see if there are any gaps that need fixing."
Mr Hastie, a former SAS captain, was asked whether this had been a situation brewing for some time.
"It's really hard to know," he replied.
"But certainly we need to do everything that we can to protect our national secrets.
"I think our serving members are well aware of their obligations, but we also need to make sure that veterans, once they separate from the defence force, also understand that there's not just a legal obligation to protect our secrets and our tactics and our techniques and our procedures, but also a moral one."
On whether different standards are to be applied to different countries courting former ADF personnel, Mr Hastie said "you do have to make a distinction."
"China is an issue, and it's the same with Russia," he said.
"There are certain countries which definitely have a red flag next to them when we talk about sharing information."
