An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in 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 discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
