A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
