A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern 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 driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
