An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
