A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
