A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
