A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
