An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
