An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
