An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
