A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
