An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
