A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
