An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
