A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports 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 cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.