A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
