A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars 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 car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.