A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
