A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
