A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
