Minister States Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
