A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
