A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview 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 stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
