An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
