A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian 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 importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
