An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
