An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
