A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
