An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
