An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
