A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
