An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
