A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s 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 exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
