A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
