An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
