A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
