Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to communication practices.
