A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
