A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
