An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
