An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
