A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
