A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
