A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
