Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
