An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
