A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
