An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport use to communication practices.
