An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
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, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
