A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
