A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
