A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations 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 ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
