A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
