A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
