An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
