A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
