A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
