An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
