An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
