Minister Says MoD Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
