A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens 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 non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
