A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
