A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
