A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
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 secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
