A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
