A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD 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 people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks 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 stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
