A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
