An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
