A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
