An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
