A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
