An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
