A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
