A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
