An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
