An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, 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 vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation 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 allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
