Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing 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 anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
