A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” 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 Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
