A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When 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 are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
