An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
