An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China 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 kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
