A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
