A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
