An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
