A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
