An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
