A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
