A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
