🔗 Share this article

An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.

He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.

After it was put to him 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 present time.”

Wider Security Background

This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.