A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
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 present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
