An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
