A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
