A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
