An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
