A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
