An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
