A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him 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.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
