A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
