A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
