A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
