An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
