An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
