A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised 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 represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
