A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
