A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
