An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone 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 responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
