A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
