An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
