An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car 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 conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
