A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
