A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
