A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
