A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
