An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
