An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
