An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
