A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In 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 cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety 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 very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car 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 discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
