An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent 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 not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
