An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
