An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, 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 worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
