A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
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 vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
