An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
