A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s 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 all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
