An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
