A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
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 precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
