A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
