A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
