An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car 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 discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned 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 is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
