An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
