Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
