A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
