An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
