An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
