An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens 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 not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
