An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
