A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
