A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for 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 classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
