An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
