An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
