An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent 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 Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
