An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
