An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
