An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
