An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
