A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have 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 Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
