A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
