An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence 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 discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
