A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
