An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
