An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
