An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
