A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
