A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
