An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats 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 worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
