A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
