An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
