An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
