A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
