A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
