A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
