A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
