An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
