A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication practices.
