An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
