An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries 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 chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
