An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
