A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence 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 staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
