A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.