A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
