An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
