A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
