An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
