An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent 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 not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
