An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
