A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
