Minister Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
