A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made 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 RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
