An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
