A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
