A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
