An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
