An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
