An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
