An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
