An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
