Government Official Confirms MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
