🔗 Share this article

A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.

Security Guidance for Defence Staff

In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.

He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Defence Background

This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.