🔗 Share this article

A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.

Security Guidance for MoD Staff

In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.

He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Security Background

This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.