A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
