An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent 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 every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
