A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
