An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry 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 revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
