A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
