A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
