A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
