A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
