Minister Says MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
