A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
