An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles 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 people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
