An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
