An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, 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 a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This 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 enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
