A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
