A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
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 switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
