An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
