An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
