An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
