A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.