An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
