A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in 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, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
