An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
