An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
