A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
