A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
