An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones 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 not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
