An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted 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.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
