An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
