An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
