An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
