An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
