An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
