A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
