A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
