A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
