An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
