A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
