Minister Says MoD Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
