An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
