An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
