A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
