A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
