An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
