A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all 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 put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
