A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
