Government Official States Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
