A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
