A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
