An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
