A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
