A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
