An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
