A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
