Minister Says MoD Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have 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 vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
