Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
