An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
