An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
