A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
