An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
