A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
