An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
