An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for 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 Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
