Minister Says Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence 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, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
