Minister Says MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
