An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
