A defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
