An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
