A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
