An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
