A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
