A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles 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 cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
