A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
