A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
