A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
