An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
