A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised 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 those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
