An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
