Minister Confirms MoD Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
