A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
