An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
