An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
