A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
