A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
