An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
