A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
