An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
