An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
