A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
