An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
