An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
