An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
