A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
