A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as 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 the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
