An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
