A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
