A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
