A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
