A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
