A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
