🔗 Share this article

An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.

Safety Advice for Defence Staff

In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.

He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.

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 Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Security Background

This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.