A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
