A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
