A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
