An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
