An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
