A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
