An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised 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 account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car 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 classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
