An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
