A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
