An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
