An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
