A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
