A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
