An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
