An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
