A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
