A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
