A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
