A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
