An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
