An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. 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 replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
