An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
