A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
