A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
