An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
