An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
