An defence official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
