An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
