A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
