A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
