A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
