A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
