A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
