An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
