An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But 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 car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
