A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is 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 every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
