A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
