A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
