A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
