A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
