An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
