An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
