An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
