A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
