An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
