A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing 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 staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
