An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
