Government Official Confirms MoD Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
