An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
