An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD 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 every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
