A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
