An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
