An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
