A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
