A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
