An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
