An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
