An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
