A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.