A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
