Government Official Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
