Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
