An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
