A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
