An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
