An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
