A defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
