An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
