An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
