A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
