An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
