A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
