Minister Confirms MoD Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
