A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
