An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
