An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
