An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
