A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
