A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
