An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
