An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
