An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
