A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
