An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
