A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
