An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
