An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
