A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
