A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
