An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
