A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
