A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
