An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
