A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
