An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
