A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
