A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
