A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
