A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
