An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
