A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
