An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
