An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
