An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving 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 level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
