An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
