An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
