An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
