An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
