A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
