A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
