A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
