An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
