A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
