Government Official Says MoD Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
