A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
