A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
