An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
