A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every 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 whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
