An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
