An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices 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 only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication practices.
