A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
