An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
