A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all 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 driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
