An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
