A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
