A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
