A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
