A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
