An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
