An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
