A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims 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 disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
