A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows 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 the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
