Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD 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 people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication practices.
