An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
