Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
