A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
