A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
