A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
