A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
