A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
