A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
