A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
