A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
