A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all 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 talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars 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, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
