A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
