An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
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 Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
