A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet 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, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
