A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
