A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet 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 to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
