An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But 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 devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
