A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
