An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
