A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
