An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
