A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
