An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
