An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
