An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
