An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
