A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
