An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
