A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
