A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
