A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark 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 buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
