A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
