A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
