An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
