An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
