An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
