An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
