An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
