An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
