An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
