A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
