A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
