A defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving 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, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
