An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
