A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
