An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
