An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
