An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
