An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
