An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
