An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
