An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
