An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
