Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
