A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
