An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
