A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
