A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
