A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
