A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
