A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
