An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
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 present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
