A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
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 allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
