An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But 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 Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
