A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
