An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet 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 non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
