A defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
