A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
