An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication practices.
