A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
