A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
