A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China 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 secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
