An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
