An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
